Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1800
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Denis A. Volozan is a 1800 ink by Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a man with short hair wearing a dark coat and white cravat. Saint-Mémin made many portraits like this for early American collectors. He used a copper plate, ink, and a roller to create soft shadows. The print is only 8 by 6 inches—small but packed with detail. Mezzotint is tricky: the artist roughs the whole plate then smooths areas to control light. That’s why the face looks so lifelike. Look next at prints by Saint-Mémin, Charles B. J. Févret de.
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (French pronunciation: ; 1770–1852) was a French portrait painter and museum director.
See the richer artist page
